The Price of Sacrifice
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Summary: This is a story about the sacrifice I made and the price I had to pay for it. It's a story about the will to survive and the bonds of brotherhood. Takes place after Showdown.
1. Chapter 1

The Price of Sacrifice

Chapter 1: Taken Captive

A/N: I've had this plot bunny in m head ever since Showdown aired, and I wanted to get it out there. I had the thought about what if Leo had been taken prisoner by the Kraang and what might happen to him? How would his brothers deal with it, and would they be able to rescue him? I thought about all of this, and this story was born. This story will be in Leo's perspective the whole way through even though it'll also be about his brothers as well. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Oh, and if you see double parentheses before dialogue, that's when Leo's meditating and speaking through the astral plane.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.

Summary: This is a story about the sacrifice I made and the price I had to pay for it. It's a story about the will to survive and the bonds of brotherhood. Takes place after Showdown.

My story is not one many know about. Sacrifice is something many people do, but there is always a price to pay for that sacrifice whether it's someone being captured or someone being killed. This is a story about the sacrifice I made and the price I had to pay for it. It's a story about the will to survive and the bonds of brotherhood. We had dedicated ourselves to defeating the Kraang, and we were determined to do all we could to achieve that task. Our backs were up against a wall, and I knew there was only one thing I could do to stop the main Kraang from coming after my brothers.

I took my brother's kusarigama chain and wrapped it around the Kraang's body, pulling it back from my brothers. I told them to leave, but it looked like they really didn't want to. I could see Raph fighting to get out of Donnie's grip, but Donnie held on and told him they had to leave. I watched as my brothers climbed into the pod, and the last thing I saw was Raph's face pressed up against the glass as he looked at me with his green eyes.

"Leonardo!" he cried. I wanted to answer back, but the pod released before I could, and I watched as my brothers made it to safety.

The Kraang leader turned to me, her face filled with rage. "You let those pathetic mutants escape, but you will not be so lucky," she hissed. Before I knew it, Kraang were surrounding me and had caught me. I wanted to fight back, but before I could do anything, they injected something in my arm that made me lose consciousness. The last thought I had was that at least my brothers were safe.

22222

When I woke up, I found myself in a cell. That didn't really surprise me as I knew the Kraang wanted to keep me a prisoner. My gear was gone, so I couldn't contact my brothers and tell them where I was. I gazed at my surroundings and saw that I was in a small cell all by myself. I slowly sat up and tried to come up with a plan, but nothing came to me. I remembered how Leatherhead had told us of the experiments the Kraang had subjected him to. Was that what they would do with me? I heard footsteps and braced myself as I heard voices.

"The one who is known as Leatherhead will not cooperate with Kraang," one voice said. "Kraang wants to interrogate the Turtle to see if he will cooperate with Kraang."

"Yes, perhaps the Turtle will tell Kraang what Kraang needs to know," the second voice said. "We will begin at once."

The footsteps stopped outside my cell as the door opened. Two Kraang-droids came in and injected me yet again so I wouldn't fight them. As I drifted off, one thing occurred to me. They had talked about Leatherhead. Was he here, too? If he was, maybe my brothers could get him out. I was sure Mikey would be happy about that.

2222

When I came to, I found myself strapped to the same device April had been captive in. Right in front of me was the Kraang leader. She smiled as she saw me looking at her.

"Ah, so you are awake," she said. "Kraang has been waiting for you to wake up."

"Yeah, I'm awake," I answered. "What do you want with me?"

"Kraang requires some information from you, Turtle," she replied. "Kraang wants to know where April O'Neil is so that Kraang can continue the plan that Kraang has been plotting. You know where she is, and you are going to tell Kraang."

I smirked. Was she serious? Did she really think I was going to just tell her where April was? She had to be stupid. "Sorry, but I'm not saying a word," I replied.

"Kraang knew you would be difficult, but Kraang does not give up so easily," she responded. "You will tell Kraang what Kraang wants to know whether you like it or not."

"It'll be a little hard if I don't talk," I retorted. "That's the only way you'll get to know where she is."

The Kraang leader laughed. "Stupid Turtle," she said. "You think that by not talking you can conceal the information Kraang wants to know. There is another way to get you to talk, and Kraang is going to use it to get the answers for Kraang."

"Okay, and how are you going to do that?" I asked her.

Suddenly, little probes came out and headed straight for me. I wasn't able to fight as the probes attached themselves to my head, causing me to scream in pain. Then the device turned on, and I suddenly realized what she meant. She was going to find the answer in my head. No, I couldn't let her do that. I had to close my mind like Splinter had taught all of us to do. There was no way I was leading her to April. I just wished I could warn my brothers about what was happening to me so they could take April and run. The pain was unbearable, but I willed myself not to think about April and where she might be. I thought of other things not associated with my brothers, and while I did that I could feel something else in my mind as though someone wanted to come in, but it didn't feel threatening. It didn't work though, and I had to wonder what had just happened. Was that the device, or was it something else?

The Kraang leader grew frustrated and stopped the device. "You are a strong one, Turtle," she said. "Kraang is impressed with your resistance to Kraang's mind probe. But that does not mean this is over. Kraang has other ways of making you give Kraang the information Kraang wants, and Kraang will get it one way or another." She addressed some Kraang-droids who were standing nearby to take me away. I was injected once again and drifted off with a pounding in my head as the last thing I remember.

22222

I woke up and realized I wasn't in the same cell I had been taken to earlier. I could feel that there was another presence in the room, and I braced myself. Was this prisoner friendly or a threat? I was weak, but I knew that if it came down to it, I could summon up some strength to fight.

"Ah, you are awake," a familiar voice said, and I relaxed.

"Leatherhead, is that you?" I asked.

"Yes, I am here, Leonardo," he replied. "Where are your brothers?"

"They escaped in a pod," I answered. "I held the Kraang leader back to give them time to escape."

"I see, and you were not able to escape yourself," he mused.

"No, I wasn't," I told him. "The Kraang leader tried to probe my mind to see if I could lead her to April, but I closed my mind off so she couldn't find me. She said she has other ways to make me talk though, but I won't do it no matter what she tries to do."

"You are very brave, Leonardo, but you should know that Kraang Prime will get what he wants no matter what it takes," Leatherhead explained. "He will stop at nothing to achieve his plan to terraform the Earth."

"So the leader's a male?" I asked. "When he talks, he sounds like a girl."

"Yes, Kraang Prime can be misleading, but he is one who makes sure his plan will succeed. I am afraid you will not be able to fight much longer, especially if they keep injecting you as they have done."

"But why do they do that? Is it just so that I won't fight them?"

"Yes, and so you won't know about the inner workings of the Technodrome," he answered. "If you see where you are, they know that you may plan an escape based on what you have seen, so they inject you so that you won't know anything."

"That's comforting," I said wryly. "Have that done anything to you?"

"Yes, they were looking for information on all of you, but I would not give in," he said proudly. "They have not been happy with me."

"Yeah, but you were able to fight them," I told him. "That means I might have a shot at it, too."

"No, the only reason I can fight them is because I am bigger than them and much stronger," he explained. "The injections do not affect me with one injection like they would with you. You are smaller and will get weaker with each injection as well as the torture they inflict on you."

"Is there any way you and I can just escape?" I asked him.

"No, it will be impossible, especially in your condition," he told me. "The best you can do is just rest and gather your strength for whatever they try to do next."

I sighed. This definitely wasn't what I wanted, but there wasn't much I could do. I sat up and crossed my legs, figuring I could just meditate and maybe save my strength that way. My head was still pounding, but I forced myself to relax and slip into the state that I knew so well. And as I did, I noticed that I wasn't alone. I saw someone I had wanted to see ever since my brothers escaped from the pod.

((Sensei, you're here.))

((Yes, I am here, Leonardo. I tried to reach your mind earlier but was blocked and experienced horrible pain. Your brothers were very worried for me as I told them what I was trying to do.))

((Wait, so you were trying to reach my mind? That must have been what I felt when I was under the probe.))

((Yes. I have been trying to find out if you are alive or not, and I am glad to see you are. Your brothers have not been doing well since they returned from the mission. Raphael believes you to be dead.))

My heart sank when I heard that. It must have been awful for them to not know whether I was alive or not. ((Well, I'm alive, and you can tell them I'm going to keep fighting.))

((Where are you?))

((I'm being held in the Technodrome. They captured me shortly after the others escaped. Leatherhead's also here with me. Kraang Prime wanted to extract information out of me concerning April's whereabouts, but I wouldn't give it to him. I closed my mind off and made sure he didn't know about April. He said it doesn't matter though and that he has other ways of making me talk.))

((I see. All I can tell you is do not give in no matter what they do. They cannot know about where April is and cannot get to her. You must stay strong, my son. I will tell your brothers what you have told me, and they will come and get you as soon as they can.))

((Thanks, Sensei. I don't know how much longer I can do this. I'm so weak right now.))

((Then rest, my son, and save your strength. I will try and get in touch with you again soon.))

((Okay, but don't do it when I'm being tortured. I don't want you to get hurt again. I love you, Father.))

((I love you as well, Leonardo. Be strong and know that we will always be with you in spirit. Take comfort from that and use it to thwart the Kraang's attempts.))

((I'll try. Goodbye, Sensei.))

((Goodbye, Leoanrdo. Try to get some rest.))

I snapped out of the trance, feeling worse than I had before. Sure, my brothers were safe and Sensei was going to tell them about me being alive, but I still felt an ache in my heart that I wasn't with them. I wanted to stay with Sensei and talk with him longer, but I was too weak to do it. My head was still aching, and I was really tired. It hurt to know that Raph believed I was dead. Splinter hadn't talked about Donnie and Mikey, but I knew that at least Mikey would have hope that I was okay and that Donnie would look at it both ways if he could. I just hoped that they would rescue me soon and get me away from here.

"You are tired," Leatherhead noted. "Get some sleep. I will stand guard."

I nodded and curled up. There was no blanket to cover me, but I really didn't care about that at the moment. I drifted off, thinking of my brothers and when they would rescue me. I dreamed I was with them and that we were celebrating our victory. The dream was sad, but it gave me comfort and strength, which I would need as long as I stayed here. I wasn't going to let the Kraang get to April, and I would do all I could to thwart their attempts as Sensei asked me to. I wasn't going to let them win.

A/N: So, what did you think? Looks like Leo's going to be in for a rough ride. The next chapter will talk about what the other Turtles are doing and what they were thinking about while Leo was captured. I'm not sure when it will be up, but I have a good idea of what I want to do, so it shouldn't be too long before I get it up. I'm so excited for the new season tomorrow, too. I really hope I did justice with Kraang Prime and how he talks. I figured Leo would think he was female based on the voice, so that's why I did that. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Strategizing Is Not Easy

A/N: So, here's the next chapter in this little tale. This one will talk about what happened with the other Turtles after they escaped from the pod and what they did afterwards. Yes, Leo will sort of be telling this, but he'll explain to you how he knows this stuff and add his own little commentary along the way. I hope you enjoy this little chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed the story so far. I'm glad you like it, and I hope you like this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of this story.

So, you're probably wondering what happened to my brothers after they escaped and how I got rescued. Well, that's what I'm going to tell you about next. How do I know any of this? Because my brothers told me about this once I was coherent enough to ask them (I'll explain about all of that later).

After my brothers escaped the pod, they watched as the Technodrome crashed into the water. They were stunned and thought that I hadn't survived.

"We gotta go find him!" Raph cried. "We can't just leave his body out in the water!"

"We can't just go out there and locate him," Don pointed out. "He could be anywhere, and I have to make repairs to the Shell Sub before we can even do any searching."

"But what if Leo's not out there?" Mikey asked. "What if he somehow managed to get to shore? Or what if he's in the Technodrome as a prisoner? We have to rescue him!"

"Mikey, there's no way Leo could have survived that," Raph contradicted. "He's gone. We have to find his body so the Kraang can't get ahold of it."

"First, we need to go home," replied Don. "Let's tell Sensei what happened and figure out a plan from there. It's the only way to do things now." (I was impressed by Don's ability to take charge in this situation and congratulated him on his quick thinking. Needless to say, he was pretty pleased with himself.)

So they went home and told Sensei everything that had happened. Raph stubbornly believed I was dead and didn't even want anyone trying to contradict him about it. Don wasn't so sure, and Mikey was sure that I had survived somehow and needed their help. Sensei agreed that I wasn't dead.

"But how do you know, Sensei?" Raph asked him.

"Because I would feel it if he had died," Splinter replied. "We must not give up hope. I will meditate and see if I can connect with your brother. In the meantime, Donatello, repair the Shell Sub as fast as you can."

"Guys, I have an idea," said April. "Maybe I can come along. We can ask the Kraang to exchange Leo for me."

Donnie's eyes widened. "Are you crazy, April?" he yelled. "There's no way I'm putting you in harm's way like that. You are NOT going along with us."

"You won't be putting me in harm's way," contradicted Aril. "You can just say you're going to exchange me and see what the Kraang do. Then you can fight them off before they have the chance to take me."

Don shook his head. "No way, April," he replied. "You're staying here with Splinter and your dad."

April said nothing more and retreated with her dad. Mikey went to watch some TV while Raph headed to the dojo and Don went to work on the Shell Sub. Splinter went to his room to try and connect with me, and that's when he felt the terrible pain. Mikey heard his cries and was at his side, calling for the others.

"Sensei, are you okay?" he asked. "Is that Falco dude back?"

Splinter shook his head. "No, Michelangelo, not this time," he replied. "I was trying to connect with Leonardo and felt this pain. I believe he is being tortured."

"Sensei, how can you tell?" Raph asked.

"Because it makes sense that the Kraang want him for information," Splinter answered. "I could feel the pain your brother was in and hear him scream. We cannot waste any more time. You must go and rescue him. I will try and connect with him later to see where he is and if he can give me any information."

My brothers nodded and left Splinter's room after he assured them he'd be okay. They continued with what they were doing. As you know, Splinter did get in touch with me, and after he was finished, he called for them to come in.

"Sensei, what did you find?" Donnie asked.

"Your brother is alive and is being held in the Technodrome," Splinter answered. "He was being tortured by the mind probe for April's whereabouts, but he did not give them the information and fought them. Leatherhead is also with him."

"Sweet!" Mikey cried. "A double rescue mission!" (Trust Mikey to be excited about getting his good friend back.)

"Yeah, and that means we really need to think things through," Don advised. "Sensei, do you think Leo could give you any information about where his cell is or anything?"

"I do not know, but I am not going to try now," Splinter answered. "He is tired and needs his rest. But perhaps I can reach him tomorrow and see what he can tell me."

"That's fine, Sensei," Don said. "I'll keep working on the Shell Sub and try and come up with a plan. We'll have to work together to see if we can get Leo back."

With that settled, they set to work, determined not to let me stay with the Kraang any longer. It was going to be hard to do anything, but they were ready to face anything. But once they found out what I'd had to face, it definitely changed them and made them feel bad they didn't get to me sooner even though I didn't blame them. Still, I was lucky to have three brothers who really cared and were determined to get me out, and I'll always be thankful that they worked together instead of just falling apart without me.

A/N: Yep, a short chapter, but that's all I could think of to do for this one. Next chapter should be up soon as well, and when you see what Leo has to face, it'll shock you and make you want to really hurt the Kraang. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Fight of My Life

A/N: And here's the next chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed so far. It's so awesome to hear from you guys. Buckle up because what happens to Leo in this chapter is not going to be pretty by a long shot. I hope you enjoy it though.

Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

Okay, so now you know what my brothers were going to do and how they were going to rescue me. So what else happened to me? Well, it isn't pretty at all. They came for me again, despite Leatherhead trying to fight them off and managed to take me away. They didn't inject me this time but turned my mask around so I couldn't see where I was going. I was scared, but tried my best to appear brave. When we stopped, they dropped me on the floor and handed me my weapons, or at least that's what they felt like. Then I heard them leave and spun my mask around. I was surprised to find myself in the dojo surrounded by my brothers and father. No Kraang-droids were present, and I wondered why my family wasn't fighting them.

"Guys, am I really home?" I asked them.

"Stop talking, Leo," Raph snarled. "You're so pathetic and weak. You aren't fit to be the leader. You went and got yourself captured by the Kraang instead of getting out of there."

"Raph, that's not true!" I cried. "I didn't get to escape. Don, you believe me, right?" Surely Don would be able to reason with Raph about this.

But Don shook his head, his normally kind brown eyes filled with malice. "No, you didn't try, Leo," he said. "You didn't try to save yourself. You let us escape while you stayed and got captured. You are no longer our brother."

I couldn't believe what Don was saying. I then turned to Mikey. Surely Mikey didn't think that about me. Mikey always saw the best in others, but his baby blue eyes that were always filled with compassion were now filled with a cold hatred.

"Dude, you seriously messed up," he said. "I can't believe I looked up to you and wanted to be you. I could have been the better leader."

"Sensei, please listen to me," I begged, looking at my father with pleading eyes.

Splinter shook his head. "I am so disappointed in you, Leonardo," he said gravely. "I see that I made a big mistake in making you the leader of your brothers. Perhaps it is time we all taught you a lesson."

I gasped as they advanced on me. They were going to hurt me, and I had to fight them, even if I didn't want to. I readied myself and waited until Raph began to attack me. I parried his blow, but Don came from the other side, so I used my other sword to block him. Mikey took that opening and hit me with his nunchuck, which really hurt. Sensei also struck me and dealt a blow that knocked me down. I tried to get up, but they swarmed upon me and began to rain blows upon me that I couldn't block.

"Guys, please stop!" I begged. "I'm your brother and your son."

But they didn't listen and continued to hurt me. I wasn't able to fight back and instead just lay there, sobbing and pleading with them to stop. Finally, the punishment stopped and one of the Kraang-droids came back for me.

"Is the one called Leonardo ready to reveal the information that Kraang desires concerning the one known as April O'Neil?"

Ah, so this is what they wanted to do. They figured by punishing me I would give them the information they wanted, but they were wrong. I wasn't going to budge on any of it.

"No, I won't tell you," I answered.

"Then the punishment shall continue until you reveal to Kraang what Kraang wants to know."

The punishment continued for a little bit more until they realized I still wasn't going to say a word. Then they injected me again, and when I woke up, I was in the cell with Leatherhead. My weapons weren't with me, but I wasn't surprised about that because I knew they weren't stupid enough to let me keep them.

"What did they do to you?" he asked me.

"I don't know," I answered. "I saw my family, and they beat me up."

"It was probably supposed to break you," Leatherhead said. "Did you tell them what they needed to know?"

"No, I didn't,' I answered. "I can't let them get to April."

"Good," Leatherhead said. "But you must make sure your spirit isn't broken or they will find a way to break you."

I nodded and was ready to fall asleep. I didn't want to contact Splinter, despite the fact I could feel him trying to reach me. No, I couldn't look at him now. He probably thought I had failed him and was disappointed in me. I shut my mind and fell asleep, not even dreaming of my brothers.

22222

And so this is what went on. I was subjected to different punishments every time. Once they even tried shocking me, but mostly they used the probe and the illusions of my family. It got to the point where I didn't know what was real and what wasn't anymore when I developed a high fever. They didn't even bother to treat me and just kept on trying to get information out of me. When I slept, I dreamed of my brothers and Splinter hurting me and begged them to stop. Leatherhead tried to wake me, and I even lashed out at him. He calmed me down though and never tried to hurt me. I was beginning to think that I would die here, until a commotion came one day.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but I heard laser fire and assumed someone was aboard the ship. I didn't even think of my brothers as I was afraid to even face them. I heard the lock click and the door opened. Leatherhead roared and was ready to fight until he heard who it was.

"Leatherhead, calm down and don't grab my face. I'm here to get you guys out."

"Donatello, how did you get here?" he asked.

"It's a long story, and I don't have time to tell it now," Don replied. "Let's just get you guys out of here." He lifted me up and hurried out of the cell with Leatherhead following. They met up with Mikey and Raph who were holding off the Kraang-droids while Don sprung us out. Leatherhead offered to hold them off while they got me into the Shell Sub, and he would follow behind. With his help, we all managed to get out of the Technodrome and into the Shell Sub. Leatherhead couldn't fit, but he promised to follow behind us. Once we were clear, Don pushed a button that rigged various smoke bombs to go off so the Kraang couldn't follow our trail.

Mikey and Raph powered the motors while Don stayed by my side to check on me. I had no clue where we were or what was going on, nor did I have the strength to open my eyes. I felt so hot and like I was going to throw up. After the motor was powered up and we were on our way, I actually did get sick.

"Eww, that's nasty!" Mikey groaned. "Donnie, Leo just upchucked back here!"

"Turn him over on his side so he doesn't choke on his vomit," ordered Don. "I'll deal with cleaning it up later. See if you can find a bucket or something for him so he doesn't do it again."

Mikey found a small bucket and passed it to Raph who had turned me on my side. They propped me up, and it was a good thing they did because I got sick yet again.

"It's okay, bro," Raph soothed. "Just let it out." He began rubbing my shell in soothing circles to try and calm me down. "It's gonna be okay, Leo. We'll be home soon."

I wanted to tell him that it wasn't going to be okay because they all hated me. This was just an act. They all thought I was weak and didn't want me around. I could only moan in response, but I was sure I wasn't going to get sick again. Raph situated me so I was on his lap so he could study me.

"Donnie, he feels really hot," he reported.

"He probably has a high fever," Don said. "Is he shivering?"

"Yeah, he's shaking like a Yorkie," Mikey added.

"Yep, he probably has the chills, but we can't cover him up because he's so hot already. We don't' have anything to cool him off with, so we can't do anything until we get back to the Lair."

"Well, we better get there fast, Donnie," Raph growled. "Leo doesn't have much time."

We did get to the Lair, and once we did, they took me to the infirmary. Splinter ordered them to get cold washcloths, and I felt them covering me with them to reduce the fever. I was shaking badly, but there was nothing they could do about that. Don noted the various wounds I had from the beatings I'd sustained and wanted to treat them as soon as my fever broke. My head was pounding and while I heard their voices, I didn't know if I was just imagining it or not. I still believed they thought I was a failure and they didn't want anything to do with me. Why were they being so nice to me?

Raph offered to stay the night and keep watch over me, so the others left him and went to bed themselves. Leatherhead stayed in the living area as he was too big to stay in my room. I went in and out all night but I still couldn't stay awake long enough to process what was going on. My fever spiked during the night and they had to put me in a tub of cool water to get it down. As they lowered me in, I began to fight, sure that this was another of the Kraang's torture methods.

"No," I begged. "Stop hurting me."

"Leo, calm down," Raph soothed. "We're tryin' to help ya. This'll take your fever down. Just relax, bro."

I didn't want to relax and continued to fight even though Raph kept a firm hold of me so I wouldn't drown. He ended up pushing a pressure point which caused me to go limp and allowed me to stay in the water. They took me out after some time and put me back in the infirmary, covering me up with a warm blanket. I was shivering, but that stopped after a while and they took the blanket off while Don took my temperature. Luckily, the tub worked, and my fever had gone down, though it hadn't broken completely. Raph again offered to keep watch while the others went back to sleep. All any of us could do was wait.

22222

When my fever broke, I began sweating like crazy and wasn't sure what was going on. My mouth felt so dry, and I really wanted water. I opened my eyes and saw Raph looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"Hey, Leo, how you feelin'?" he asked me.

"Thirsty," I whispered.

"Okay, I'll get you some water," he said. He hurried out of the room and alerted the others that I was awake. They came in to see me and waited while Raph got me some water. He helped me to sit up so I could drink it and it felt so good going down.

"Take it slowly, Leo," Don advised. "Don't drink too fast."

After I drank as much as I could, I looked at all of them. They seemed happy to see me, but all I could remember was the hate in their eyes as they called me weak and other horrible things. How could they change so much?

"Leo, why are you so freaked out?" Mikey asked me.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are home, my son," Splinter replied. "Your brothers rescued you and brought you here."

"But you all hate me," I said. "You said I was weak and pathetic and wasn't fit to be a leader. Why would you rescue me?"

"Leo, we never said any of that," Raph told me. "We were tryin' to rescue you. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. You're home now, bro, and we're gonna help you get better."

I wanted to believe him, but something in me just wasn't so sure. However, I didn't have the strength to worry about it and just wanted to sleep. Splinter saw that and said, "We will let you rest now, my son. Just try and save your strength."

I closed my eyes and did what he suggested because I really didn't want to stay awake any longer. I wanted to believe I was safe, but I knew I had to be on my guard because the Kraang were probably going to torture me more. I wondered where Leatherhead was and was afraid that he'd been hurt, too. I decided I would ask later and figured that saving my strength was the best way to make sure I wasn't hurt anymore. I was determined that the Kraang weren't going to torture me further with visions of my family and that I would fight if I had to. They weren't going to break me no matter what.

A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. I'm sure you guys probably think the rescue was a bit rushed, but I couldn't wait any longer. Now Leo will have to decide whether what he sees is real or not and whether his family really means what they say. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll do my best to have it up as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Illusions of Pain

A/N: Yeah, it's been a little while for this story, but I suddenly got inspiration thanks to a challenge issued by The Nerdfighter. So, thanks, NF, for giving me the inspiration to keep going. I would advise all of you to read The Nerdfighter's stories as they're really good. Thanks also to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. You guys have been so awesome about all of this. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot for the story.

I bolted upright, jolted awake from my nightmare. I looked around and saw that no one was there with me, which made me feel better. I just didn't want to see my family after everything that had happened. Despite what they said, I felt that they still hated me and resented me for what I did. I looked around and spotted my swords up against one of the tables. I felt it was weird that my weapons would be here, but I picked them up and put them on my back. Feeling that I needed to get out of bed, I stole out of the infirmary and made my way to the living area. Then a door nearby caught my attention, and I made my way to it, turning on the light to see what this room was for. As the light illuminated the room, I gasped. This was the room from my nightmares, the one where my family would torment me. My breathing became shallow as I took in gasps of air. Was I having a panic attack? What was going on?

"Leonardo?" a voice asked. Splinter appeared before me, a look of concern on his face that I took to be a look of disappointment. "What are you doing in here?"

I couldn't answer him as I still found it difficult to breathe. Then I heard other footsteps as Raph and my other brothers came into the room.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Raph asked me.

I unsheathed one of my swords and swung it at him, but a spasm of pain made me double over, dropping the sword to the ground. I curled up in a ball, still gasping and waiting for the onslaught of insults and blows that I usually had to endure.

"Donnie, what's wrong with him?" Mikey asked.

"I think he's having a panic attack," Don replied.

"So what do we do?" Raph inquired.

"I think I know how to help," Splinter said gently. Then he began to sing a song in Japanese. After listening to it, I recognized it as one of the songs Splinter would sing to us when we were little and were either sick or had a nightmare. My breathing gradually slowed as I focused on my father's soothing voice. I realized that this wasn't the same room it had been before and that I was home and safe.

After he finished the song, Splinter gently knelt down and looked at me. "Are you feeling better, my son?" he asked.

"No, it hurts," I whimpered pointing to my bruised ribs.

"We will take care of that," Splinter replied. "What triggered your panic attack?"

I told them about what the Kraang did in that room and what happened there. "It was a form of torture used to break me," I answered.

"Sounds like some form of virtual reality to me," Don mused. "That's pretty neat. I wish I could have seen the components of how they made it. I bet they used some really advanced technology to make it seem like what you were seeing was real. I think that would be awesome to use that for our training sessions because it would allow us to really fight with the opponents without actually fighting them. Don't you think that would be neat?"

"Donnie, we're talking about a method the Kraang used to torture and hurt Leo," Raph replied. "Do you think that would be neat to see?"

Don's face softened. "No, I didn't mean it like that," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Leo. I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"No, it's okay, Donnie," I said. "You can't help yourself when it comes to technology."

"So why did you come in here anyway?" Raph asked me.

"I had a nightmare and just thought I would come in here," I said leaving out that I thought I was still with the Kraang. I didn't want my family to think I was crazy, even though I really felt that I was.

"Okay, well, I know something that might help," Raph said. He held out his hand to help me up, and I took it, knowing that he wasn't going to hurt me.

"Sorry I swiped at you," I apologized.

He squeezed my shoulder. "It's not your fault, bro," he said gently. "You were scared." He led me out of the dojo and into the living area and settled me on the couch. Then he went to the kitchen and got an ice pack for my ribs, which felt really good.

"So this is the thing that's going to help?" I asked him.

"Not exactly," he replied. "The ice pack's part of it, but there's something else that might make you feel better." He turned on the TV and scrolled through our recorded shows until he stopped on a show I recognized instantly.

"Wait, you're going to watch Space Heroes with me? But you hate that show!"

Raph laughed. "Well, you didn't get to finish it before our battle, so I figured it would be cool to watch it and see how it ended. And to be honest, I really don't hate Space Heroes. Believe me, I've seen worse than that. I was just teasing you."

"Aha, I knew it!" I said triumphantly. "The truth has finally come out!"

"Yeah, yeah, but don't tell the others I said that," he warned. "I do have a reputation to maintain after all."

I laughed. "Okay, I won't," I promised. Then I sat back and watched the show with my brother. As it turned out, Captain Ryan did go down with his ship, and the show ended with a very sad funeral. I was a little shocked that they had ended it that way, but at the same time, it made sense since the show was ending.

"Man, tough luck for Captain Ryan, huh?" Raph asked me.

"Well, he just did what he thought was right," I answered.

"Yeah, but he basically killed himself for nothing," Raph argued. "I mean, if you love your crew, wouldn't you want to leave with them and start fresh with a new ship?"

"He didn't see it that way, Raph," I contradicted. "He saw it as a noble sacrifice."

"Yeah, well it was stupid of him to do that," Raph grumbled.

"You mean, just like it was stupid of me to stay on the Technodrome?" I asked him.

Raph's opened his mouth and then closed it.

"Wait, you DID think it was stupid of me to sacrifice myself?"

Raph squirmed a little in his seat. "Well, I didn't think it was the right thing for you to do," he admitted. "I thought you were copying Captain Ryan since you idolize him so much. I just felt that there could have been a better way."

"I wasn't thinking about Captain Ryan," I said softly. "Before we left, Splinter told me that the important thing was to finish the mission no matter what I had to sacrifice or who I had to sacrifice. I knew that there was no other way than to do what I did as a leader."

Raph's green eyes widened at my words. "Whoa," he whispered. "I had no idea about any of that, Leo. I'm so sorry I thought that about you, bro. You were just doing what Splinter asked you to do."

"I understand why you would think that, Raph," I told him. "You just didn't want to lose me."

"No, I don't want to lose you," he answered. "If I did, I don't know what I'd do." He turned away and rubbed his eyes. I pretended not to notice since I knew he was wiping away tears and didn't want me to know about it. After he regained his composure, he turned back to me. "So you ready to go back to bed?"

"Yeah, I think so," I replied.

"You mind if I stay with you just in case you have another nightmare?"

I smiled and put an arm around him. "I'd like that, Raph."

We went back to the infirmary, and I felt a little better that Raph didn't think I was stupid for sacrificing myself now that he knew the details. But at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder if he was right. Would there have been a better way for me to escape instead of going down with the ship? Did Don and Mikey resent me about it? And why had Splinter said that to me? Did he really feel that sacrificing myself would have been worth it if I had died? I knew I would have to get answers to these questions soon, but for now I was too tired to really dwell on them. I settled back on the cot and closed my eyes, happy that Raph was with me. Before I drifted off to sleep, I felt Raph place his hand in mine and squeeze to reassure me that he was there. I squeezed back and kept my hand in his, knowing that the support of my brother would help me get through any nightmares I had for the rest of the night.

A/N: Yay! Another chapter is done! I'm so glad I got this chapter out, and I can't wait to put out more. Yep, Leo's still got questions he needs answered, and he still has doubts aobut what he did on that ship. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.

I


End file.
